MOBILE, AL – Mobile area natives JaMarcus King and Myles Pierce have accepted invitations to the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl, bringing the number of local players five.

South Carolina defensive back JaMarcus King led the Gamecocks with 12 pass breakups during the 2017 season and snatched two interceptions. He helped his team with three tackles and an interception in the Outback Bowl in a 26-19 win over Michigan. King came out of Blount High School in 2014 where he primarily played wide receiver.
The Citadel linebacker Myles Pierce finished the season with a team-high 91 tackles, 13 of which were for a loss. The Daphne High School graduate also picked up six sacks for The Citadel.

“For the local players to get a chance to come back to Mobile, it just goes to show the strength of high school football here in our area,” said Reese’s Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage. “And the fact that a lot of these players are able to go off to college and play well enough to get an opportunity to come back and play in the game is big because they’ve gone to the practices and the games when they were growing up.”

The three other players include Auburn linebacker Tre’ Williams, Southern Miss running back Ito Smith and Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers.

Williams graduated from St. Paul’s Episcopal in 2014. He had four tackles in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in a 34-27 loss to Central Florida. Williams had a season-high 10 tackles against Georgia Southern in Auburn’s first game of the season.

A graduate of McGill-Toolen Catholic, Smith ran for 13 touchdowns during the 2017 season. His season-high three touchdowns against Charlotte came from 15 carries for 153 yards.

Silvers, who came from Gulf Shores High School, led the Trojans to an 11-2 season atop the Sun Belt Conference. Troy won the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl against North Texas 50-30, where Silvers completed four touchdown passes.

South Alabama safety Jeremy Reaves also accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Reaves recorded double-digit tackles in five games this season, and he caught two interceptions for the Jaguars.

Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium will play host to the 69th Reese’s Senior Bowl on Jan. 27. Practices will begin Jan. 23, and the NFL Network will televise all three practices and the game. ESPNU will also broadcast Wednesday and Thursday practices.